27/05/2020
Several Westmoreland County baseball leagues preparing to play this summer
Written by: Sean Meyers
May 13, 2020
Tags: Jason Bush
The postponement and subsequent cancellation of high school spring sports left thousands of athletes in Western Pennsylvania without their favorite activities over the past few months. The unwavering desire to resume those activities as soon as possible, however, has prompted several leagues to put plans together with the hopes of playing competitive baseball this summer. In Westmoreland County, in particular, three notable leagues are hoping to play ball in the weeks and months to come.
Under normal circumstances, the WPIAL baseball playoffs would be just getting under way, and would span the next few weeks. By late May, the season would have concluded for the vast majority of high school teams, with the exception of ones that make it to the WPIAL championships or into the PIAA postseason.
For decades, the majority of high school varsity players then transitioned to the American Legion season, which spanned late May until mid-July. Initially, the national American Legion cancelled its World Series, but left each state in change of its own season. While the season was ultimately cancelled for the entire country last week, Pennsylvania separately made the decision to cancel its season much earlier – at the beginning of April.
As a result Jason Bush, who serves as Region 7 Director and District 31 Legion President during the legion season, sought alternatives that would allow more than a hundred players to still take the field. With that in mind, he reached out to the four districts that comprise Region 7, and also had conversations with Region 6, which includes Allegheny and Fayette counties.
“We decided to try to organize and see – would there be an interest in playing, kind of forming our own league for a season,” Bush explained.
“We can’t run under the auspice of American Legion baseball this season, but basically, if we can go ahead and do something and it’s safe and the government allows, we just cannot call ourselves American Legion baseball,” he continued. “We wanted it to look, act, sound, be exactly like legion baseball that everybody in this area has been accustomed to.”
Specific to Westmoreland County, District 31 American Legion typically consists of approximately 10 teams, and Bush believes the vast majority of those same teams would participate in this independent league. Thus far, he’s received confirmation from Latrobe, Unity Township, Derry, Hempfield East, Murrysville, Bushy Run, Mount Pleasant, Yough, and Young Township, while West Hempfield is hopeful to return after a year absence. Kiski Valley is the only team from that last year that is not expected back for a potential 2020 campaign.
For the entire region, Bush anticipates that between 20 and 30 teams will play if the season happens, approximately 75 percent of a full league from previous years.
Without the American Legion backing, however, legion posts may not sponsor teams this year, forcing them to find other means of financial support. That is not a new issue, however, as teams have played in the past without that benefit, including Derry, which does not have a local American Legion post.
Another issue that arose was the insurance policy, which had previously been in place under the American Legion baseball policy.
“We’ve been able to secure insurance for any player and any team in southwestern Pennsylvania,” Bush noted.
He also indicated that every player would need to sign a no-harm waiver in order to play in the league.
Another hurdle that arose was the use of fields, however, as several teams typically utilize fields that are owned by high schools or colleges, which appear to be off limits for the time being. That aspect could force a creative schedule that utilizes the accessible fields as designated venues for teams unable to use their traditional home fields.
Those issues are not exclusive to Bush’s league, however, as a new league operated Bob Johnston, a North Huntingdon native, is going through the same process. Johnston has many ties with the Gateway high school baseball coaching staff, and after witnessing the team’s disappointment from the PIAA cancellation, he sought other options for the team to play.
“When the season was abruptly cancelled, they were wondering what they could do. Then the summer legion program was suspended for the year. From that point, they didn’t know whether or not they were going to have the kids together again,” explained Johnston, who has a background as a high school and college coach.
Johnston initially explored the possibly of the Gators playing in a summer college baseball league based in Fayette County. As he continued to talk to the Gateway coaches, as well as Bill Chruschial of the local umpire association, he learned that several other local school districts were in the same situation.
“Bill used his resources, and I used my resources, and found out that other local summer leagues and high schools that didn’t have a chance to play had an opportunity now to play some games. So that’s where this all generated from,” he explained.
With the tentative name of either the Dual County League (DCL) or the Second Chance Senior League, this new league is aimed to primarily keep high school teams together, as opposed to the American Legion boundaries that sometimes separate them (Greater Latrobe is divided into Latrobe and Unity Township, for instance).
This league has received interest for teams not only in Westmoreland County, but also all across Allegheny County. Teams that have confirmed already include Highlands, Gateway, Murrysville, Penn-Trafford, Norwin, West Jeannette, and McKeesport, while Yough, South Allegheny, Bethel Park, and Baldwin are still weighing the decision. If most of the teams do join, the league will be divided into two divisions – Westmoreland and Allegheny.
If both leagues come to fruition this summer, several teams, such as Penn-Trafford, Murrysville, and Yough, could participate in both. Johnston pointed to the Murrysville team as an example, noting that between the typical legion and junior legion squads, approximately 35 kids are expected to be involved. In that scenario, some could primarily play in the Westmoreland-based league, while others could participate mostly in this new league, although there would be players who would overlap, as well.
This league would also adopt some notable changes to roster composition and rules. The teams would be allowed an unlimited number of players, ranging from kids who are heading into ninth grade next school year, up to 19-year olds. Teams would be able to bat between nine and 12 players, with the use of a designated hitter and two extra hitters, if desired.
“I expect some to go to 11. I don’t think many will go to 12,” Johnston said.
Teams are also permitted unlimited substitutions, although players must remain in the same spot in the batting order throughout a contest. Furthermore, no pitch count or rest stipulations would be in effect, putting the onus on the individuals and their coaches to make the decision.
While those two leagues primarily are designed for high-school aged players, another local league for 13-15-year olds is hoping to move forward, as well. The Latrobe-Derry Area Teener League, a staple of the county for years, has already missed more than a month of its season. Slated initially for an April 11th start, the league, under the guidance of President Dean Watt, is now aiming at a start date of May 22.
Instead of the normal 21-28 game schedule, the slate will be reduced to 18 games per team if that tentative start comes to fruition. Regardless, the league hopes to play until its traditional conclusion at the end of July.
“Our goal is to be done by August,” Watt said. “But somehow, some way, we want to try to get some baseball in this year.”
Baseball games at any age level, however, will not be permitted until the respective counties move into the green category. But on Friday, both Westmoreland and Allegheny will shift to yellow, which should allow the start of practices with several safety precautions in place.
Watt stated that his league will indeed commence practices on Friday, as he received approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
“The lady I spoke with there basically said ‘Yeah, we want kids to get out of their houses and do things,”’ Watt detailed.
Those practices will look drastically different from games, however, as the teams will honor the social distancing guidelines. That means that the dugouts will not be utilized, there will be no catcher next to a batter, and no holding runners on base. Instead of simulating game situations, the practices will feature just batting, pitching, and fielding practice.
Bush, who is also coaching in Teener League if it resumes this summer, echoed those sentiments about the potential changes to practices for his league.
“You can work different scenarios and different parts of baseball at this point. I can devise tons and tons of practice plans that don’t involve guys touching each other or being that close,” he said.
When it comes to actual game play, however, there is much more uncertainty. Perhaps the home plate umpire will be shifted to the field to call balls and strikes, while runners may not be permitted to steal.
“If we go into the green phase, I think the game is going to look a little different. How can we change that we meet the guidelines of the CDC, and still get the kids out to play?” Watt pondered. “These kids need to get out and start doing things, because it’s weighing on their mental health as much as their physical health.”
“I believe that is going to be dictated to us, as some point,” Bush said, referring to the ruling ultimately coming from government officials. “In other words, you’re going to be able to play ball, and this is what you’re going to have to do, or quite frankly, we’re not going to be able to play ball because we don’t think it’s safe at this time.”
Ultimately, all three leagues share the same goal – allowing the kids to play competitive baseball in some form this summer, while keeping the game as safe as possible.
“We’re all in agreement that we want to get the kids back on the field, and however that happens, or wherever that happens, we really don’t care,” Bush said.
