Frontier League delays start of season
The Frontier League, a 14-team independent baseball league that includes the Washington Wild Things as one of its members, announced Wednesday that the start of its 28th season will be delayed.
Just how long it will be delayed? The league did not give an expected start date.
The Frontier League, in a statement released Wednesday morning, said it is “officially delaying the scheduled May 14 start of the 2020 Frontier League season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The league, which is the largest independent baseball league in North America, will continue to monitor the situation and announce a start date for the 2020 season at the appropriate time.”
Washington was to begin its 19th season in the Frontier League with a game May 15 at the New York Boulders. The home opener was scheduled for May 19 against Quebec.
“The safety of our fans, players and team employees is our highest priority at this time,” Frontier League commissioner Bill Lee said. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to play baseball in 2020 and will continue to track the pandemic as well as federal, state and local social-distancing requirements in all of our markets.”
The league also announced its annual tryout camp and draft, which was scheduled for April 27-28 in Avon, Ohio, has been postponed.
“It is our goal to hold our tryout camp, spring training and start our season as soon as possible,” Lee said. “Our board of directors is meeting weekly to monitor and discuss the situation, and we will provide updates as the pandemic progresses. We ask all of our fans, players and staff members to follow the recommendations of federal, state and their local health officials, in hopes of slowing the spread of this virus.”
Washington was to host the league’s all-star game July 15. There was no announcement about the game’s status.
This was to be a big season for the Frontier League. The River City Rascals ceased operations after winning the league championship last season, but five franchises from the Can-Am League – the Boulders, Quebec Capitales, Trois-Rivieres Aigles, Sussex County Miners and New Jersey Jackals – were added to form a 14-team league with two seven-team divisions. Washington will play in a division with holdover Lake Erie and the five former Can-Am teams.