Atlantic League delays start of 2020 season due to coronavirus pandemic
A radar device, top, a part of the Automated Ball-Strike System, is seen during a baseball game between the Long Island Ducks and the New Britain Bees at Bethpage Ballpark on July 25, 2019. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Atlantic League, an independent baseball league that includes the Long Island Ducks, will delay the start of its season for an undisclosed amount of time due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, a news release said Monday night.
The Ducks, who won the league championship last year, were set to open on May 1 at Bethpage Ballpark in Central Islip. That, along with the league’s tryout minicamps that were slated to occur in late March and early April, also have been postponed, the release said.
An announcement about the season schedule will be made at a later date, Atlantic League President Rick White said in the release. Scheduling decisions will be based on the Atlantic League monitoring of news and public information sources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and state and local health departments for the communities to which ALPB clubs belong, the league said.
“As the Coronavirus pandemic evolves, the ALPB remains focused on the health and well-being of our neighbors, fans, players, umpires, and employees,” White said in the release. “When these challenging circumstances pass, we look forward to welcoming fans to our ballparks, putting smiles on their faces, and creating lifelong memories.”
The Ducks' open tryout, originally scheduled for April 18, also has been postponed to a to-be-determined date, Ducks president and general manager Michael Pfaff said.
