Green Mountain Baseball League COVID-19 Response 2020

For the 2020 GMBL season, we will be facing many different challenges.  This is based on the Vermont Department of Heath and the CDC’s guidelines for public safety.  According to the governor, things will not be the same.  Leagues like Little League, Babe Ruth, Legion, HS, NCAA, other VT men’s leagues and even MLB and MiLB may not be playing when we plan on starting.  But if we can follow basic health and safety protocols, I believe we can have a successful season and we are planning to start on July 1st.  This will not be baseball.  It will be temporarily modified baseball.  For reminders of safety and health and the guidance of modifications below and how these rules were made by myself and the other managers in the league, you can refer to the following links…

https://www.healthvermont.gov/response/coronavirus-covid-19/about-coronavirus-disease-covid-19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/covid-19/update-3-covid-19

https://accd.vermont.gov/news/update-new-work-safe-additions-stay-home-stay-safe-order

Enforcement- Implementation will not be perfect as these are some odd rules to the game of baseball but it’s for everyone’s safety.  Manager and player flexibility will be needed.  We are looking to severely limit the transmission of virus.  The Covid prevention of not only yourself, but of your teammates, and most importantly your family and community is the MOST important.  Whether you play baseball or not in 2020 DOES NOT matter.  But because of our delayed timing of our league, I feel that if these easy safety precautions for the league are taken and clearance from municipal ordinances occur, the Green Mountain Baseball League can reach its mission in 2020 “to provide an opportunity for 18+ players to play baseball in a competitive environment.”

We will not be penalizing players for mistakenly forgetting these rules.  We have all developed habits through our many years of playing baseball and making some of these changes can be hard.  Please be open to reminders from your teammates to follow these rules and please help remind them to follow these rules as well.  Criticism and jokes do not help the situation and are insensitive and unempathetic to many of us who know co-workers, friends, community members and family members who have died from this highly contagious disease.  It is the expectation that you take social responsibility and follow these rules.

Blatant ignorance or defiance will not be tolerated.  If this is the case, managers are expected to refer cases to the league and dismissal from the league for that player(s) may be possible.

Let’s help each other be safe….and Let’s Play!

Sincerely,

Justin Bissonnette

GMBL President

COVID-19 Safety and Rules Modifications (Procedures and Rules adjustments) for 2020

Procedures

·   

·        Masks or face coverings are required at all times on the bench and in the field (updated 7/24)

If plPlayers leave the state, they must quarantine for 2 weeks.  There are exceptions: 1)IF the player has quarantined for 7 days, they are eligible to “test out”.  Tests take about 24-48 hrs to get results, 2)Players have visited “blue” counties in Northern NY or Norther NE.  If they visit a “red or yellow” county, they must quarantine for 2 weeks or “test out”.   https://accd.vermont.gov/covid-19/restart/cross-state-travel

·         Players must submit their address and phone number, and sign that they agree to these rules before they can play.  This will be recorded on a googledoc that will be provided by the president for easy contact tracing.

·         It is important for everyone’s safety that a +COVID test is reported to the league in a timely manner.

·         Dugouts are for equipment only.  Players are to go inside dugouts only to retrieve equipment.  No food or drink in Dugout.  Keep near bag.

·         It is highly recommended that players use their own helmets.  With the amount of face touching that occurs when using a helmet, it is not a smart idea to share helmets.

·         Players must have their own catcher’s mask.

·         No sharing of any other equipment except baseballs. EXCEPTION: Bats, if handles wiped with a disinfectant.  *

·         A bottle of hand sanitizer, must be provided on the bench at all times. *

·         Gloves to be worn when using field equipment (rakes screens, etc)

·         If a +COVID test, the GMBL must quarantine for 2 weeks.  All games within those 2 weeks will be CANCELLED.**

·         If there are 2 separate instances of a +COVID test, the rest of the season will be CANCELLED. **

·         No Tobacco, seeds, or any spitting

·         6-feet distance at all times: No huddles, no high fives

·         Defense provides baseballs each inning.  Mark them with one Sharpie line through the label with their own color.  Teams will control baseballs, not umpires

o   Black Sox- Black

o   Mariners- Green

o   Expos- Blue

o   Brewers- Yellow

o   Bulldogs- Red

·         Benches and bleachers are not to be sat on.  Personal chairs OK if out of play

·         Managers must send home players they determine are “sick”

·         Players should not show up if “sick”

Rules Adjustments

·         Chalk or spray painted boxes approx. twice the length of the dugout, in front of dugout for players. (Dead ball area) NOTE: If there is adequate, dry space that is already out of play, and easy access onto the field such as a gate, a box may not be needed)

o   Rice= Need Visitors down first baseline

o   Pit= None needed

o   Calahan= Visitors needed

o   Dorset= 3^rd baseline needed

Essex HS= None Needed

*Within reason, the league will reimburse teams for disinfectant and sanitizer.  Receipts must be submitted by the managers to the league before our October league meeting.

**For a +COVID test to affect the league, that player would have to be in attendance.  If the player was on the roster, tested positive but did not play on the team within a week of the positive test, the standard 2 week quarantine from the date of test for the individual would apply only.