The baseball and softball fields at Nonotuck Park are usually busy at this time of year.
Chairs are spread along the sidelines and the dugouts are full while kids of all ages play games at Milne, Wilby, Biardi, Coughlin and Gagner fields.
Not in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has closed Nonotuck Park and Gov. Charlie Baker’s announcement last week to keep schools closed and in remote learning through the end of June as all but eliminated the Little League season.
“Our season only runs through the end of June then we go to playoffs,” Holyoke Youth Baseball League officer Ernie Fitzell Jr. said. “If you want my honest opinion it’s not going to happen this year for really anybody.”
Holyoke canceled its spring Little League season on Friday.
“We are hoping that if everything gets cleared up soon we will be able to have a fall season in September and October. No guarantees,” Fitzell said. “Everyone is disappointed but they understand the decision that was made.”
Little League International recommended that leagues stay closed through May 11. On Tuesday night, the governing body announced in a statement that leagues need to follow local and state guidelines: “As certain states and municipalities begin their phased approaches to reopening, it is highly encouraged that each league and district adheres to the guidelines set forth by their respective state and local government and health officials in terms of public gatherings, organized youth sports, and sporting events when determining when it is safe to return to Little League activities after May 11.”
Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Gateway, Holyoke, Northampton and Southampton are all members of Little League District 2.
Northampton Baseball & Softball canceled its season on Tuesday.
“After discussing with local health officials, our Board of Directors has made the determination that our most appropriate action at this time is to cancel the spring 2020 NBSL season,” Northampton president Jeffrey Payne wrote on the league’s website. “While this decision is a difficult one to have made, Northampton Baseball & Softball remains committed and looks forward to continuing our program and its investment in our players and community when it is safe to do so.”
Southampton Little League canceled its season on Monday. Southampton president Brian Wallace said many factors led to the decision, among them the health and safety of families.
“Talking to folks in town, when Massachusetts releases everybody to start to become normal again, we’d have to start playing baseball immediately thereafter,” Wallace said. “There would be a lot of parents that wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that and we didn’t want to put people in a position.”
Amherst Baseball and Hadley-Amherst Softball president Paul Poreda said his organization is waiting for more instruction from state and local officials because Baker extended the non-essential business closure date to May 18.
“We are putting together some plans if we can go on the 18th, or if we can’t, but we haven’t made a definitive decision yet,” Poreda said.
Gateway Little League has a board meeting scheduled for Thursday where it will “try to decide the fate of the spring season and communicate that to our parents and kids who are waiting,” president Deryck Savoy said.
Little Leagues in Easthampton and Belchertown have also not made decisions about the season. Easthampton president Jason Tirrell wants to have some sort of baseball activities this year.
“There will be baseball at some point, circumstances willing,” Tirrell said. “There are too many kids itching to do something. It’s terrible. I feel bad not getting out there and I’m not a kid anymore. I can’t believe being a kid looking forward to baseball season and nothing happens.”
Tirrell said if restrictions are lifted from neighboring towns, the potential to allow out-of-town players in a summer/fall league exists.
“I am still steadfast if things clear up making something happen either in summer or fall for our town kids, as soon as we get the go-ahead from the state as well as the town,” Tirrell said.
Like Easthampton, Holyoke has had discussions for a potential fall season, but nothing is official yet.
“We’re totally open to that we just don’t want to give false hope at the moment,” Fitzell said. “We did some behind the scenes work where we can … if this was to get OK’d, we have everything in place except for registration.”
Fitzell said his organization wants to be careful and keep everyone’s health and safety a priority.
“These are difficult times. We have never canceled a season in 56 years. It is what it is. This was a first and we’re working through the growing pains,” Fitzell said. “We can’t put the kids at risk just to pull it off.”
Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com. Follow on Twitter @mikemoranDHG.