BARNSTABLE – The Cape Cod Baseball League will be returning for the 2021 season with several changes to assure the safety of players, coaches, staff, and fans.
“it’s been quite an offseason, probably an offseason like no other that I have experienced,” said Cape Cod Baseball League Director of Broadcasting John Garner.
One of the changes made this year is moving the start of the season back 8 days from June 12th to June 20th.
A benefit to the schedule change is it lessens the overlap of the College Baseball Playoffs, and Cape League season, negating the need for teams to recruit temporary players who could potentially be infected with COVID-19.
The condensed schedule will also lessen the cost of testing players throughout the season. However, teams will go from two days off to one day off a week. Thursday will be the universal off day for the entire Cape league.
The Cape League also made the decision to forgo the Cape League All Star game which traditionally takes place at Fenway Park.
Another change being made to the 2021 season is the playoffs will go from eight teams to four, with the goal of limiting potential COVID-19 exposure for the players, coaches, and staff.
“The quality of play in the playoffs obviously is going to go up because you’re going to have four teams with winning records,” said Garner
One of the major obstacles in making the Cape Cod Baseball League a reality this season was finding host families willing to house the collegiate players during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“The ten franchises, I have to applaud all ten of them for working so hard, and getting that done, and getting those beds,” said Garner.
The Cape League has also made vaccinations a priority as opening day quickly approaches.
“I think getting people vaccinated is very important, and that been a goal, all the tier one personnel will be vaccinated before they get on the cape, and then there will also be weekly testing to make sure the players safety is paramount,” said Garner.
Garner is hopeful that attendance will be able to expand throughout the summer.
“It will be able to increase in attendance as the summer goes on, and it looks like that is not only gonna happen on the Cape but all over the country,” said Garner
Will Moore, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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