The Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League has cancelled the summer season, the league announced today. That means no Shelter Island Bucks to cheer on at Fiske Field.
“In light of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and taking into account the governmental regulations on the local, state, and national level, the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League has decided to cancel the 2020 summer season,” the League said in a news release.
“Summer baseball is a special opportunity for these players, but given the current circumstances in our community and throughout New York, the board voted unanimously to cancel our season,” HCBL President Sandi Kruel said in a news release.
“This decision was not taken lightly. However, out of an abundance of caution for our players, league staff, and residents here on the East End, we all felt it was a necessary one.”
The HCBL, which is part of the 12-league National Alliance of College Summer Baseball (NACSB), and mirrors the cancellation of the Cape Cod Baseball League, The Valley Baseball League, NECBL Baseball League’s 2020 seasons in the past weeks.
“I want to personally thank all of our sponsors, volunteers, and of course our host families for their dedication to our success,” Kruel said. “With their continued support, we as a league look forward to coming back even stronger in 2021.”
Shelter Island Bucks
Shelter Island Bucks GM Brian Cass, in a telephone interview said he expected the league to come back bigger and stronger in 2021. He was thankful to all the local businesses that had pledged support this year.
“Pretty much every one of our sponsors told me to just roll it [their advertising costs] into next season” he said in a recent phone interview. Cass said he was appreciative of the host families who had committed to housing a player or two this summer as well.
Players typically arrive at the end of May for an eight-week season that begins in early June.
In a phone interview, Kruel said the HCBL executive committee, which includes the team GMs, was unanimous in its decision. And she praised the Bucks management team for being so well-prepared. “On Shelter Island, everything went as smooth as could be asked for.”
About the HCBL
Established in 2008, HCBL is committed to providing free family entertainment on eastern Long Island, as well as a forum for student-athletes to continue their pursuit of playing professionally.
Every effort was made, she said, to figure out a way to offer a summer season for college players who lost their spring season due to COVID-19 shutdowns, but there was no way to do so safely.
Since its inception, the HCBL has welcomed more than 1,700 players to the league from more than 40 states as well as several international countries. Over 200 players have been selected in the Major League Baseball draft, with 20 reaching the big leagues.
It became apparent that assembling seven teams of 27 players plus coaches would be difficult as the virus upended every aspect of life. Under the best circumstances, lining up commitments from players, host families and sponsors is a big job. The health risks simply outweighed the rewards, HCBL said.
“We are the epicenter of the virus,” Kruel said. “I just didn’t feel right asking a kid from Minnesota to come to Suffolk County a risk becoming infected.”
