Summer College Ball Update

I wish I was optimistic,  but that ship has sailed

I don't see how they are going to do it. What host family is going to welcome a stranger who is going to travel all over then come back to their home in the evening. 

This is a timely thread.   We got an email from my son's new travel team, the summer before he goes to play at college.  He is not playing in any of the bigger leagues which I think is going to help them play sooner as its less structured with no host families, etc.   The coach says since the college kids are home they are going to start working out as a team as soon as CT opens back up for biz and if HS season cancels, still hope it doesn't, he will work the graduating seniors in right away. They will look to start early.   I do not think this is overly optimistic, I think it's realistic.    I do think there will be bigger issues for the bigger leagues like politics, hosting, scheduling etc.

The whole reason that the high school and college seasons have been cancelled is to break chains of virus transmission.  If summer teams start practicing, that will completely undermine and make a mockery of all of the sacrifices that have already been made.

There is NO NEED for baseball team practices.  Sure the players will probably be fine even if they get it, but they will carry it back to their families.  The whole point of the 10-person ban that the White House has recommended is to reduce the rate of transmission. 

anotherparent - my state is shut down and when it opens they will start.  This isn't coaches jumping the gun its coaches getting ready to run and start early if the situation is possible.   As I wrote as soon as CT opens they will start.   

I am also in the camp that high schools should not cancel seasons but should roll decisions forward every two weeks as facts on the ground change.   No one knows what will happen in 4 weeks or 8 weeks or 12 weeks but everyone should keep planning to get back to normal and not make rash decisions based on worst-case scenarios.  I am not saying that is your point of view just giving my opinion.  

NECBL has said they will be expanding their rosters, to give more kids an opportunity to play.

2 months from now, will be mid-May.  Let's hope the curve has collapsed by then, boys can start practicing, and getting ready for games to begin in early June (can't believe I've succumbed to the Oxford Comma!)

I'm back to being optimistic!!

anotherparent posted:

The whole reason that the high school and college seasons have been cancelled is to break chains of virus transmission.  If summer teams start practicing, that will completely undermine and make a mockery of all of the sacrifices that have already been made.

There is NO NEED for baseball team practices.  Sure the players will probably be fine even if they get it, but they will carry it back to their families.  The whole point of the 10-person ban that the White House has recommended is to reduce the rate of transmission. 

Not going to debate whether the feds/state are handling the problem appropriately.  Purpose is to decrease and minimize the transmission and avoid hospitalizations and worse.  I'm sure there will be leagues that will start sooner than recommended, "secret" practices/games that one can find or participate in.  In a way one can find any medical diagnosis to support what you want to hear instead of the majority of docs (it's just a muscle strain vs tear).  Just be careful and make a wise decision.  It's easier to read about those that unfortunately passed away due to complications from the virus than to have it hit closer to home (a parent, grandparent, neighbor) who MAY have been exposed to the virus from your son who was exposed to the virus from a player from Team ZZZ.  JMO

If anyone subscribes to D1 baseball, there is a suggestion in an article about a plan to implement  baseball in the fall to make up for the lost season and provide an opportunity for seniors to play in the fall.  This is in conjunction with changing the draft at some point, which is basically what the article was about.  This obviously would require players to arrive back at school sometime in the summer.

Then in the spring after the break, the regular season would be played, without returning seniors, incorporating freshman.

Of course this would take a lot of people working to make this happen, but I actually thought it sounded pretty good compared to other options and unfortunately, this could  hurt the college summer season.

This of course, would mean if we could get over this virus sooner than later.

TPM posted:

If anyone subscribes to D1 baseball, there is a suggestion in an article about a plan to implement  baseball in the fall to make up for the lost season and provide an opportunity for seniors to play in the fall.  This is in conjunction with changing the draft at some point, which is basically what the article was about.  This obviously would require players to arrive back at school sometime in the summer.

Then in the spring after the break, the regular season would be played, without returning seniors, incorporating freshman.

Of course this would take a lot of people working to make this happen, but I actually thought it sounded pretty good compared to other options and unfortunately, this could  hurt the college summer season.

This of course, would mean if we could get over this virus sooner than later.

I figured this idea would pop up sometime. Until the MLB figures out what their plans are for the draft it will still be an issue. Beyond the draft there are still budget issues. Scholarships were paid out for the 2019-2020 school year. Tuition will reset for the following semester. Then the issue of travel and paying for it. Also the cold weather schools who will need to play road games exclusively starting in mid October. 

Then there is the issue of guys who were not academically eligible for the spring 2020 season, redshirts, etc. Summer leagues would have to shut down as pitchers can't realistically pitch 3 "seasons" in a row. Coaches who were not going to be returning to new school. 

In theory it's a nice idea, but there is no outcome that doesn't result in at least one group of players (seniors, freshmen, high schoolers, etc) getting screwed. 

To add.....another issue will be players that need to take a larger load of classes in the fall and classes with labs, so they can take a reduced load in the spring. 

keewart posted:

To add.....another issue will be players that need to take a larger load of classes in the fall and classes with labs, so they can take a reduced load in the spring. 

To build on this point:  My school initially tried to continue holding classes that had an unavoidable in-person component (labs, engineering workshops, architecture, sculpture...).  That proved impossible.  (Duh--"History majors need to practice social distancing, but those of you in STEM fields can come to campus part-time" didn't fly.)  I don't think college administrators around the country have a clear idea how to handle giving credit for interrupted coursework that requires in-person components.  The class I teach has no lab-type element.  The rest of this spring is going to be a lot less productive than a typical semester, IMO; but my students can complete enough work that no one is going to seriously question giving them three credit hours.  That may be a lot less clear for other courses.

I'm not advocating penalizing students for circumstances beyond anyone's control.  And in the end, I think schools will just award credit--if only to avoid any question of having to make tuition refunds.  But some profs or schools may disagree, and if you are taking a course with a strict sequence (say, Physics 102, which is a prerequisite for all upper level Physics classes), they could have a point:  Students may miss out on crucial topics/skills.

My guess is most profs will essentially treat the second half of the semester as "pass/fail" because each student faces a different array of disruptions.  (I have students with elementary school-aged kids who are now home while mom or dad try to take online classes.  Others will lose their hourly jobs and have no income.  The list of issues is endless.)  There are a lot of unknowns, and there will be ripple effects in academics as well as baseball.

TPM posted:

If anyone subscribes to D1 baseball, there is a suggestion in an article about a plan to implement  baseball in the fall to make up for the lost season and provide an opportunity for seniors to play in the fall.  This is in conjunction with changing the draft at some point, which is basically what the article was about.  This obviously would require players to arrive back at school sometime in the summer.

Then in the spring after the break, the regular season would be played, without returning seniors, incorporating freshman.

Of course this would take a lot of people working to make this happen, but I actually thought it sounded pretty good compared to other options and unfortunately, this could  hurt the college summer season.

This of course, would mean if we could get over this virus sooner than later.

Not a bad idea. Canadian schools, with the exception of UBC(NAIA) all play a fall schedule. The milder weather to the south would make it even more doable.

Not sure if maybe this should be a separate thread, but — what is your son doing to stay in shape with the shut down of gyms, throwing facilities, etc? Is your son still maintaining a throwing regimen and if so what steps is he taking to avoid infection with his throwing partners?

Iowamom23 posted:

Not sure if maybe this should be a separate thread, but — what is your son doing to stay in shape with the shut down of gyms, throwing facilities, etc? Is your son still maintaining a throwing regimen and if so what steps is he taking to avoid infection with his throwing partners?

So very difficult. Ours found online workouts. Probably not ideal. He also elected to stay at school with his house mate, who also plays baseball. They are working together to prepare for summer. Once the weather breaks a bit, they plan to find an outdoor cage. Can he throw to someone that lives with him?  Buy catchers gear?  I wish I had more suggestions. Pm me and I’ll let ya know which workout he bought and if it’s worth it. 

It's probably best not to throw with a partner, unless you are fine with either infecting, or being infected, by them.  This virus exists on surfaces for hours. Use a net instead.

If you are lucky enough to have a gym at home then you can lift there. Hitting off a tee is always good. 

My eldest is still away at college. He is a weight room devotee, so he doesn't know what to do with himself. He isn't even allowed to use the cages.

Youngest son (HS) can't work out except at home. Right now I am hitting him Fungos and BP, and he throws into a Bownet. We have decided to stay away from friends as practice partners. 

We almost gave away the Jugs screen when he went to college - but today I realized that we still have it.  Proves that procrastinating about cleaning out clutter can have benefits.  I wonder if I can still remember how to get it folded up?  I used to be pretty good, but it's been a while, he didn't need it in high school.

Pretty good article about the current state of collegiate summer leagues. (Unfortunately, it's behind a paywall.) Kind of amazing how much ingenuity people are bringing to this problem. It also mentions some of the local leagues that have popped up all over the country to fill the void. We have one in my area. Lots of local college kids playing under less than ideal circumstances. Constantly changing rules and field availability. One of the state's guidelines is for the catcher to stay 6' from the batter. How?

https://www.baseballamerica.co...unprecedented-season

My son was going to play in one of the pop up league games yesterday but two kids on the opposing team tested positive for COVID so they cancelled the game. At my younger daughter's school, the football and basketball players returned for "voluntary" work outs and they've had several cases already as well. My son has also participated in a couple of events that put rules in place to enhance social distancing (e.g. limiting spectators, no more than 6 kids in the dugout, etc.) and then you see kids positing pictures on Instagram of those six kids piled together, just happy to be playing again and seeing their friends. It's super hard for kids to social distance. It is going to be interesting how this all rolls out....  

@MidAtlanticDad posted:

Pretty good article about the current state of collegiate summer leagues. (Unfortunately, it's behind a paywall.) Kind of amazing how much ingenuity people are bringing to this problem. It also mentions some of the local leagues that have popped up all over the country to fill the void. We have one in my area. Lots of local college kids playing under less than ideal circumstances. Constantly changing rules and field availability. One of the state's guidelines is for the catcher to stay 6' from the batter. How?

https://www.baseballamerica.co...unprecedented-season

1. Paywalls are good things — the one on my web site is feeding my family. It was a good article.

2. We have a league here in Des Moines with two teams playing weekend doubleheaders. It's been a nice experience in a minor league park and felt very secure for spectators, although maybe less so for players (teenagers don't get social distancing). They also are hosting high school games during the week, our varsity is slated to play there tomorrow. Usually that's an experience that only teams playing in the state tournament get, so it's pretty cool for a lot of our small schools.

3. Son is getting his COVID test today so he can go play with the Northwoods. Sounds like they will have to have a negative test within a period of time in order to travel to other communities. Speaking as one who has been tested, if kids are willing to have someone drive a swab into their brains to play baseball, they really want to play!

@Iowamom23 posted:

1. Paywalls are good things — the one on my web site is feeding my family. It was a good article.

 

In case it came across that way, I wasn't disparaging paywalls. I understand the economics of journalism. I pay for quite a few subscriptions myself, including BA. Just unfortunate that many on this site would find the article interesting, but we can't all subscribe to everything.

@MidAtlanticDad posted:

In case it came across that way, I wasn't disparaging paywalls. I understand the economics of journalism. I pay for quite a few subscriptions myself, including BA. Just unfortunate that many on this site would find the article interesting, but we can't all subscribe to everything.

No worries! I've promised myself to speak up in favor of supporting journalism wherever possible. People who object to paywalls on newspapers or other news media often don't realize that cable tv, netflix, etc., are just versions of pay walls. I appreciate you not copying and pasting the story out there for all, although I have to say, i had no trouble reading the article although I don't think I subscribe to that publication. Thanks for sharing.

I respect paywalls; but I was able to read the whole article via your link. 

@Iowamom23 posted:

1. Paywalls are good things — the one on my web site is feeding my family. It was a good article.

 

...

Yup, good article, Mid.  Thanks for sharing.

Iowamom, I'm going to share my thoughts on the paywall comment in the event it helps you at some point - I know the nature of your business but not the details.

The newspaper that covers our county via both print and online has held fast to a paid subscription model for probably 4-5 years or so now.  But I have some real problems with this.  Their coverage of local sports, news, events, etc., has become very poor.  Local sports coverage is practically non-existent with them and what is published is usually very dated.  They used to post HS and college scores, summaries and pics, show up at many of the games to get the stories, spearhead things like all-county selections, etc., but they do practically none of that now.  Most of their content has become links to national and state-wide pieces provided by other media outlets (which i can access directly for free).  The local news they do publish can be found on the local TV station websites for free.  There is very little value any more.  I just refuse to pay.  If their coverage was what it used to be, it would be a different story.

Also, even if they did a better job with local coverage, I still think they would have far more success working off of a model supported by advertisement and "subscription for hard copy only" than trying to get people to pay for online content when so much of the same information is available for free.  Admittedly, I may not have sufficient insight on that last piece of it.

As a result, they have completely lost their stronghold as the leading source of local news and, aside from one TV station, local sports coverage is now practically non-existent.  Seems like they completely shot themselves in the foot.

@cabbagedad posted:

Yup, good article, Mid.  Thanks for sharing.

Iowamom, I'm going to share my thoughts on the paywall comment in the event it helps you at some point - I know the nature of your business but not the details.

The newspaper that covers our county via both print and online has held fast to a paid subscription model for probably 4-5 years or so now.  But I have some real problems with this.  Their coverage of local sports, news, events, etc., has become very poor.  Local sports coverage is practically non-existent with them and what is published is usually very dated.  They used to post HS and college scores, summaries and pics, show up at many of the games to get the stories, spearhead things like all-county selections, etc., but they do practically none of that now.  Most of their content has become links to national and state-wide pieces provided by other media outlets (which i can access directly for free).  The local news they do publish can be found on the local TV station websites for free.  There is very little value any more.  I just refuse to pay.  If their coverage was what it used to be, it would be a different story.

Also, even if they did a better job with local coverage, I still think they would have far more success working off of a model supported by advertisement and "subscription for hard copy only" than trying to get people to pay for online content when so much of the same information is available for free.  Admittedly, I may not have sufficient insight on that last piece of it.

As a result, they have completely lost their stronghold as the leading source of local news and, aside from one TV station, local sports coverage is now practically non-existent.  Seems like they completely shot themselves in the foot.

Cabbagedad, thanks for your thoughts. Not to detour the thread, but I get your points. I ran our corporately owned local print newspaper for 30 years (started while in kindergarten HAH). When my job was eliminated, it left one person in town (the office was closed) covering a county with six school districts. All the bad stuff you cite has happened.

I launched an online only site almost two years ago. We cover one school district in the county's largest city and are focused on that. We decided early on to run the way a traditional community newspaper should. We sell ads, charge for subscriptions and cover the heck out of the community. Only difference is people get us in their email or on their web browser instead of on their porches.

What I've learned is that people will pay for quality. They can access the web site 24/7 and they get a newsletter every morning at 5:30, with coverage of the latest local news (today, new pediatric dentist opened, plans for this weekend's in person graduation and a group celebrating ham radio weekend), plus obituaries, police and sheriffs reports for the week and a calendar of events for the day. And a localized weather report.

My husband and I do primary coverage, but I also have four freelancers who contribute a lot, including a former sports writer for the statewide daily paper who covers big events like state tournaments, sports seasons starting after a pandemic, etc., but he covers only our teams. It's amazing stuff that people haven't seen for years.

We just got a grant we are going to use to hire someone to start covering two rural school districts around us. They'll have their own web site and weekly newsletter (rather than daily) just because they're tiny.

I used a lot of words to say this — we're doing news the way I think it should be done. And we're making enough money to keep ourselves in wine and our kids in college, which is really all we can ask for.

Now I have to go and post the notice of a lost dog -- once people start sending us pictures of their oversize vegetables, I'll know we really have arrived as THE local news source!!

Again, sorry to derail a bit, but am just super proud of what we are doing and hopeful that we're finding a template that others can follow and that will serve readers well.

OK, Iowamom, so we are in the middle of wine country... sounds like you can be bribed to moving here 

Son's Coastal Plains League team cancelled.  Don't know if the entire league is cancelled yet because no official statement has been made. 

@Iowamom23 posted:

Cabbagedad, thanks for your thoughts. Not to detour the thread, but I get your points. I ran our corporately owned local print newspaper for 30 years (started while in kindergarten HAH). When my job was eliminated, it left one person in town (the office was closed) covering a county with six school districts. All the bad stuff you cite has happened.

I launched an online only site almost two years ago. We cover one school district in the county's largest city and are focused on that. We decided early on to run the way a traditional community newspaper should. We sell ads, charge for subscriptions and cover the heck out of the community. Only difference is people get us in their email or on their web browser instead of on their porches.

What I've learned is that people will pay for quality. They can access the web site 24/7 and they get a newsletter every morning at 5:30, with coverage of the latest local news (today, new pediatric dentist opened, plans for this weekend's in person graduation and a group celebrating ham radio weekend), plus obituaries, police and sheriffs reports for the week and a calendar of events for the day. And a localized weather report.

My husband and I do primary coverage, but I also have four freelancers who contribute a lot, including a former sports writer for the statewide daily paper who covers big events like state tournaments, sports seasons starting after a pandemic, etc., but he covers only our teams. It's amazing stuff that people haven't seen for years.

We just got a grant we are going to use to hire someone to start covering two rural school districts around us. They'll have their own web site and weekly newsletter (rather than daily) just because they're tiny.

I used a lot of words to say this — we're doing news the way I think it should be done. And we're making enough money to keep ourselves in wine and our kids in college, which is really all we can ask for.

Now I have to go and post the notice of a lost dog -- once people start sending us pictures of their oversize vegetables, I'll know we really have arrived as THE local news source!!

Again, sorry to derail a bit, but am just super proud of what we are doing and hopeful that we're finding a template that others can follow and that will serve readers well.

It won’t be long before major papers only arrive in email and browser rather than on the doorstep. I believe the New Orleans paper was the first. It won’t be long before the age group resistant to using the internet is gone. 

I remember having it out with my mother that I wasn’t going to drive her all over the greater metro area looking for something. We’ll find it online, identity where we can see it with the intent of making the purchase when we arrive. Now many people are at the point, “ I don’t need to see it live. If it’s not what I want I’ll return it.” 

@cabbagedad posted:

OK, Iowamom, so we are in the middle of wine country... sounds like you can be bribed to moving here 

I'd have to change my screen name!!!

@RJM posted:

It won’t be long before major papers only arrive in email and browser rather than on the doorstep. I believe the New Orleans paper was the first. It won’t be long before the age group resistant to using the internet is gone. 

I remember having it out with my mother that I wasn’t going to drive her all over the greater metro area looking for something. We’ll find it online, identity where we can see it with the intent of making the purchase when we arrive. Now many people are at the point, “ I don’t need to see it live. If it’s not what I want I’ll return it.” 

Won't be just major papers. I cover a town of 16,000 and there probably a dozen papers like mine around. When I was writing my business plan I talked to several older readers who said "oh, I'm sorry, I can't give up my print paper." 

But they are at heart newspaper readers. They bought ipads and are thrilled that they can read the "paper" while snowbirding in Florida or here at home. 

We were reading the local newspaper online and print up until the pandemic.  Back in the days before we learned that fomite transmission is unlikely and we were sanitizing everything that came into the house, we stopped reading the print version - just one less thing to worry about. I'm sure we're not the only ones. The upside is that we used the savings there to add another subscription.  We're up to 3 newspapers and I think 3 magazines. Between that, streaming services, and monthly SAAS subscriptions it's hard to keep track of everything. In fact this morning, I noticed a payment for a service I've been paying for for 3 months without remembering that I signed up for it.

Sorry for the even further thread drift.

The only time I ever touch a paper newspaper is if someone leaves a copy of the local on the table in a Dunkin when I’m in Maine. I subscribe to the Boston paper online (local to my primary residence) and a couple of national papers. 

I would chuckle when my mother would ask if I saw the article on (subject).

What she was telling me about on Thursday she read on Wednesday and it happened on Tuesday. I read about it on Tuesday. It was old news to me.

When news just started being online (before tablets) I would print articles and take them to the bathroom. My (ex) wife just shook her head.

I'm curious which college leagues are playing this summer.

@JCG posted:

We were reading the local newspaper online and print up until the pandemic.  Back in the days before we learned that fomite transmission is unlikely and we were sanitizing everything that came into the house, we stopped reading the print version - just one less thing to worry about. I'm sure we're not the only ones. The upside is that we used the savings there to add another subscription.  We're up to 3 newspapers and I think 3 magazines. Between that, streaming services, and monthly SAAS subscriptions it's hard to keep track of everything. In fact this morning, I noticed a payment for a service I've been paying for for 3 months without remembering that I signed up for it.

Sorry for the even further thread drift.

 

I’m enjoying it!!

@RJM posted:

 

When news just started being online (before tablets) I would print articles and take them to the bathroom. My (ex) wife just shook her head.

Grounds for divorce right there.

Not sure if this was reported here yet:

New summer collegiate league in Newport RI.

https://www.providencejournal....e-trying-to-fill-gap

Connecticut College Baseball League started up yesterday after a couple of scrimmages.  Typically, a lower level very regional league, but a good infusion of local D1 players this year due to the cancellations.  Had a good, competitive game and a pretty good crowd.  Even the park walkers stayed to watch as they said it was good to see some normalcy.  Unfortunately, I didn't see any obvious scouts, but maybe in the future.

The Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League is playing with 24 teams participating! Games are at the Diamondbacks spring training fields. My son (2020 RHP) is playing with a team comprised of local kids from the Phoenix area who are committed. We have heard that this year is a lot more competitive than years prior. There are independent scouts out here watching players who would have gone high in the draft under normal circumstances. 

Son pitched last night in the opening games for the Northwoods League. Just one inning, but he struck out one, allowed two hits and two flew out. It was nice to see him pitch and the video feed was surprisingly good. He's supposed to start Saturday — we're going to drive a couple of hours to see it. I feel like I have to cherish every second he gets to pitch just in case they would get shut down again.

Texas Collegiate League is playing.  Loads of talent this year with a couple of new teams.  They are using AA facilities for their games.  First game was Tuesday night