THUNDER BAY – The Northwoods League says it won't be possible for a league-wide Opening Day on May 26.
That's disappointing news, said Thunder Bay Border Cats general manager Tony DiPaolo.
"Ever since this started we've had conversations with the league and their whole indication was that they we were going to start on May 26, obviously dependent on what was happening in the world. It came down today that the May 26 league-wide start date will not be happening, due to the fact Wisconsin extended its Safer at Home order until the end of May," DiPaolo said.
With nine Wisconsin-based teams in the league, the decision essentially wipes out the entire schedule until the teams are permitted to take the field.
DiPaolo said it's really just a waiting game until decisions are made at the state and provincial level, not to mention the need to reopen the Canadian border to non-essential travel.
"Depending on what the governments of each of those province and states say, will factor in to when Opening Day will happen," he said.
DiPaolo said the Northwoods League has suggested it needs to play at least 40 games for a season to happen. Internally, the Border Cats have discussed the possibility of no season at all.
It's not something he wants to think about, but the reality is there. At the moment, the team and its players wouldn't be able to cross the border, for starters. There's also the issue of finding host families to house players over the course of the season, a long-shot at the moment with social distancing measures in place.
"It is a concern for us," he said. "The league is going to ever evolve in how the season turns out. I don't know, but they may make the decision that Thunder Bay will not be in this year's season and they can continue on with just the teams in the States. I don't know if that's a possibility or a thought."
DiPaolo stresses the possibility of a Border Cats-less season is not something that the league has brought up, but it's a possibility the team ownership has floated about. Last week the Thunder Bay Chill announced it was pulling out of the United Soccer League 2 campaign for 2020, but vowed to return in 2021.
"We could foresse it being a possibility, because they really want the season to start. Canada is obviously very concerned about the health of its people, and fair enough. It should be that way," DiPaolo said.
"The border is going to be a major factor."
The Cats GM said at the moment, there's not real timeline in place to make a decision.
"They're just going to follow the schedule and just knock off games played and the starting date will start from when every state or Canada is good to go," he said.
The 40-game mark would bring the schedule to the end of June. The league normally plays a 72-game schedule.
The league says it is looking at all options available to them at this time.
“With fan, player and personnel safety as the primary consideration, the Northwoods League has been closely monitoring developments related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the various restrictions by governmental authorities that have been enacted as a result,” said Great Lakes Division president Matt Bomberg in release issued on Friday by the Northwoods League.
“Simultaneously, the league has been considering multiple scenarios that could be adapted to the dynamic environment in which we find ourselves so that where and when baseball can safely be played, it will be played.”
