Wild Things still waiting but optimistic about baseball season
Tony Buccilli was supposed to be watching the Washington Wild Things today in their first practice for the Frontier League season. Instead, Buccilli, the Wild Things’ president and general manager, will be watching for Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement about which counties will be allowed to reopen May 8.
The Frontier League, of which the Wild Things are members, has delayed the start of its 28th season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league was to begin its regular season May 14 but is awaiting guidelines from local, state and even national governments and health officials about when sports operations might be able to resume.
“The league, we’re just maintaining the status quo until we get new state-by-state guidelines,” Buccilli said. “That was part of a league conversation (Wednesday). Where is each state in terms of stay-at-home orders and what type of feedback are you getting about your state reopening? Illinois is different than Ohio, which is different than Pennsylvania and New York and New Jersey.”
During the offseason, five former Can-Am League teams merged with the Frontier League, creating a 14-team league, the largest in independent baseball. However, of those five new teams, three are located in pandemic hot-spot states New York and New Jersey. The other two are Canadian franchises, each located in Quebec.
“The players want to go. We want to go,” Buccilli said. “Hopefully, we’ll get some information from the governor (today) about Washington County opening. If we do, then we’ll be able to get back to the office.”
A recent newspaper article out of Quebec City stated that the Frontier League has been floating the idea of a June 15 start date. Buccilli said that is one of many scenarios the league has contemplated.
“Everybody would like to have a starting date – let’s go,” Buccilli said. “July 1 is the date that has been associated with Major League Baseball and we’ve considered that. We’ve considered scenarios with June 1, mid-June, late-June and July 1. It’s a rolling scope. We just have to find out how it would work. The league has been creating as many scenarios as could possibly happen. That’s what you do with all this free time.”
Buccilli said the Wild Things would be open to playing even if under spectator limitations.
“If we have to play two weeks without fans, then I think we’d be OK with that,” he said.
Buccilli said the Frontier League has not considered playing all its games at one or two sites, such as Major League Baseball reportedly is considering. It also doesn’t think having teams from states with strong pandemic restrictions playing all their games on the road.
“In that scenario, there is no way to recoup your costs and you get no exposure in your community,” he said.
Despite the current situation, Buccilli says, he’s still confident that games will be played this summer.
“I’m optimistic,” Buccilli said. “I’m optimistic about our state. I know Illinois is bad but Ohio is either open or will be opening soon and Kentucky is very good, which is good for Florence. The New York and New Jersey teams, as bad as those areas have been, are optimistic that they are past the curve. … The Canadian teams are optimistic, but that’s a tougher situation because of dealing with having to cross the border.”
Still, getting state and local governments and health officials to approve baseball this summer will take time and perhaps a good plan.
“The players want to play and we can make it work,” Buccilli said. “I think it would be good for the community. Hopefully, the governor will give us some something to go forward with. … But I believe we’ll be in a position where we’ll have to send a proposal, with multiple scenarios for starting, to officials for review. For example, we’re a baseball stadium but we can’t be considered the same as a 25,000-seat venue.”