Leagues, players forego baseball and softball seasons even with DeWine’s green light

Some local baseball and softball leagues, as well as players and their families, are choosing to opt out of the summer ball season -- even though Gov. Mike DeWine said teams would be able to play later this month.

Many cited confusion and frustration over the new guidelines that were laid out by the Ohio Department of Health. Some of the mandatory requirements include but are not limited to:

All players, coaches, spectators and umpires must maintain a six-foot social distance while at the athletic field or facility.

Coaches and players must maintain a social distance while play is not active.

All coaches must wear face masks at all times.

Players must wear face coverings when they aren’t out on the field (i.e. while they are waiting for their turn to bat or are not playing defense).

There are no team water coolers allowed.

Players and coaches are not allowed to give ‘high fives’ or handshakes.

The New Carlisle Baseball and Softball Association canceled their 2020 season before the new guidelines were announced. Board President Kirby Brown told News Center 7′s Jenna Lawson that the board did re-evaluate the choice after the governor’s mandates, but in the end still stood by their initial decision to cancel.

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The league had about 300 kids sign up for summer ball this season. Right now refunds are being issued to families.

“We even talked to our insurance agents, as well to look at the liability to our association,” he said. “There was some things we could have put in place to take the liabilty off of us -- but at that point, if you have to do something like that, it’s not worth it.”

Many other leagues in Clark County have followed suit.

But Northridge Girls’ Softball Association has said it will have a season. The league said in a post on its Facebook page that it is waiting for approval from the Northeastern Local School District to use the fields behind Rolling Hills Elementary School, but it is also looking for fields not on school grounds.

Although the league has said they will play ball this year, some parents are questioning whether that’s the right move for their kids.

Morgan Melchi, 8, has been playing softball for three years.

Her mom, Molly Melchi, said when she first heard the state guidelines she questioned whether to let Morgan play.

“It’s not fair for her not to be able to be a kid and go out there and play the way she’s always played,” Molly Melchi said. “They can’t give each other high fives or congratulate each other. They love to get there and hug and run around and play. They’re not going to be able to do any of that, and it’s frustrating."

Melchi said once a decison about the fields comes down from the school district, she and her husband will sit down with their daughter to really talk about what softball will look like this year.

But she said the final decision will be left up to her daughter, who already understands the season may not be what she was expecting.

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