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By Justin Goulet

WCBL season officially cancelled

May 28, 2020 | 7:27 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge Bulls fans won’t get to watch their team hit the diamond this summer.

The Western Canadian Baseball League’s (WCBL) Board of Governors has voted unanimously to cancel the 2020 season. The board cited the safety of everyone involved as a major factor in its decision.

“Following the federal, provincial, and municipal government health guidelines and medical recommendations, the league determined it would be impossible to guarantee the safety of players, coaches, umpires, host families, staff, volunteers and fans during the COVID-19 pandemic situation to the extent required by authorities,” read a statement from the WCBL.

The league stated that it looked at all options to formulate a plan for play this summer. Pushing back the season start date to July 4 or playing with only Canadian players to prevail over border issues were a couple of options discussed.

“With the federal government announcing that the border will remain closed until at least June 22, and that people must self-isolate for 14 days once they cross the border, we would not have enough time to carry out a season,” the league said.

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Gathering size and social distancing were also factors in the WCBL’s decision, citing the difficulty of allowing a large number of fans into stadiums.

“Social distancing would be a challenge in clubhouses and especially on buses that teams must use for travel purposes,” read the statement.

“The League even explored the option of reducing stadium capacities to allow for better social distancing and by operating with temperature checks and masks. Unfortunately, our franchises will not be able to adjust to the economic impact of such a model due to the reality that our teams rely mainly on park generated revenues plus the community initiatives to fund operations.”

The WCBL thanked all players who signed on to play baseball with the league this summer.

“Your commitment and perseverance to play baseball this summer did not go unnoticed. It is heartbreaking that we will have to go a summer without baseball in the WCBL, and we feel for players whose college careers have been shortened by these unpronounced circumstances,” the league said.

The WCBL also thanked fans and host communities for the support shown throughout the pandemic.

“Our fans make WCBL stadiums a special place to play for the players during the summer, giving them a chance to play in front of thousands of people in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The community support the league and its teams have received over the past number of years is fantastic!”

The WCBL noted that it plans to implement a strategy to ‘stay relevant and connected’ with communities and fans until teams can get back on the field.