Coronavirus

Don’t let a softball player be South Korean patient 31

We were suppose to have a tourney out of town and got cancelled, then we got to a tourney in town and some teams backed out at last minute, so far no cases in my county thank god !

My daughter whom is a Sr in high school just came down stairs and said the CDC just recommended delaying or canceling all events with 50 or more people. She was crying because that probably just ended her softball career. They are ranked #2 in state and she felt like this was their season. She is devastated. Prom was next weekend and that is likely canceled as well...this is terrible.

The CDC is now saying 8 weeks without gatherings of more than 50. That's the end of May, and that's 3/4 of our season, which truly means no season at all. I can't imagine any parents are going to be okay with a full season's fees for three or four games.

Paraphrasing Illinois’s governor from today’s press conference: I hope people look back and say “we over-reacted” rather than asking why we didn’t do more.

Strike2 said:

What's "insane"? That kids want to do what they do? Even considering the CDC guidance and some basic hygiene precautions, I don't see the danger with having a practice or even a scrimmage. It's typically outdoors, FFS. We're talking about a bug that's even less of a threat to kids than the influenza strains that kill thousands every year. I've lived long enough to have seen numerous disease scares, and have had bouts with things far scarier than COVID-19. The reaction to this is ridiculous. We all need to get a collective grip and look at this more rationally and longer term. It's not going away in four weeks, eight weeks, or eight months. Eventually, there will be some vaccine for it that the more at-risk people can get, but it's here. We'd best learn how to deal with it in some way better than shutting everything down.

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Since you don’t care about the grandparents of softball players, let’s try this ...

Do you realize this isn‘t about how deadly THIS virus is to the general public? It is about how easily it is transmitted and how quickly the healthcare system can be overrun. A surge on hospitals with this respiratory issue means hospitals are tied up and don’t treat other things. Your heart attack isn’t contagious, sorry, you had a good life anyway. Yes, hospitals have already outlined their triage procedures on who lives and who dies.

Stay home, don’t expose more people.

Or go ahead and play ball. Who cares if you are exposing hundreds of people who in turn will expose hundreds more ... and so on. As long as your Little Suzy gets a few more chances at a home run, who cares you have created an exponential nightmare on transmitting a highly communicable disease.

The more people together, the higher the risk. The more people move about, the higher the risk. You want to do both.

There is nothing magical in any number ... 249 people at an event does not magically make you safe. Oh crap, 251! We’re all doomed. No, any number is just a way to try to make people conscientious and aware of risk. Since common sense ain’t so common, more drastic measures happen.

3girls said:

My daughter whom is a Sr in high school just came down stairs and said the CDC just recommended delaying or canceling all events with 50 or more people. She was crying because that probably just ended her softball career. They are ranked #2 in state and she felt like this was their season. She is devastated. Prom was next weekend and that is likely canceled as well...this is terrible.

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Sorry to hear that, my DD is a sophomore in HS, school closed for two weeks, but I've told her, which is most likely the case, that the school season is going to be canceled. Better to accept the facts then to hold onto hope. Hopefully travel will be allowed in the summer.

My DD's TB is going to have a practice on Tuesday, (not mandatory) I'm considering letting her go. I figure 8-9 girls, they gonna be in their positions or hitting, no plays at the base, they really not gonna be close to each other. I suppose the ball could get infected if someone has it, but she'll sanitize her hands right after practice. I look at it like this too, anyone who still has to go out and work, there most likely no way you can avoid people in a 6 foot radius. Yes, you have to go to work, you don't have to practice softball, but if she stays inside for two weeks, and I go to work and bring the virus home, same thing happens. I'm certainly not flippant about this, I understand the spread and the risks, but I feel this is low risk and she's itching to play.......Go easy on me.

BlaineAB said:

Had a nice pitching session in the backyard today. A bit chilly, but at least the sun was out.

Players can still keep working on their skills.
Group practices aren't necessary.

For those parents/coaches that still want group practices/scrimmages/tourneys to go on while the coronavirus is still very contagious, please keep in mind that a lot of the umpires are in the cohorts that are having the higher mortality rates.

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So true, in my USSSA organization I umpire for, the average age of an umpire is 52. Some of the blues are in their 70's.

flash277 said:

So true, in my USSSA organization I umpire for, the average age of an umpire is 52. Some of the blues are in their 70's.

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When I moved here about 22 years ago, we had a slow-pitch blue that everyone liked to give a hard time. We told him it was time to retire back then, as he was in his mid-sixties, and was notorious for missing at least a few calls per game on a good night.

I stopped playing about 3 yrs ago due to an injury and taking time to coach baseball and softball. I'll be darned if the sun of a gun wasn't only still umping when I last played, but he was playing in a FP league one night a week, too!

I pray that I can still move at all when I'm in my mid- late 80's!!!!!

We shouldn't worry about this virus too much, I mean, look, here's The Man In Blue called games like this before....