Hays Post
While Kansas high school baseball players have lost their spring season, there remains hope that summer baseball will be played.
"We are optimistically getting ready to play baseball," said Steve Queen, Kansas American Legion State Baseball chairman. "As long as we get started in early June ... we will play the regular season."
While the national American Legion has already cancelled regional and national tournaments for the upcoming summer, it remains the decision of state organization whether pitches are thrown in 2020, said Paul Harris, media relations director for the national organization.
"It will be up to the Kansas committee," Harris said.
A number of states have already called off the 2020 season. But, in Kansas, that committee remains hopeful there will be plenty of baseball this summer.
"We control the destiny of what's going on in the state of Kansas," Queen told Hays Post on Saturday. "We want to be patient and not overreact."
Queen urged each team — locally controlled by a Legion branch or local board — to register and secure insurance for the coming season.
Should the worst-case scenario arise, "all funds will be returned," he said.
In Hays, both the Eagles and the Monarchs are planning on playing baseball this summer.
"We understand that things are not like they normally are in April. Our intention is to offer these young men the opportunity to play baseball in the summer as we have in the past," said Skip Cox of the Hays Eagles board. "Although, if something happens and we are told they cannot play, we will refund the player fees to all players."
Trey Wentling of the Monarchs echoed those sentiments.
"The TMP Monarchs Legion team are planning on playing as scheduled for the summer. We are registered with American Legion and our players are completing their paper work for submitting our roster," he told Hays Post. "TMP currently has 12 doubleheaders scheduled and, as long as teams are still willing to play and the state of Kansas allows, we will be ready for our home opener on June 3 versus Dodge City."
If summer baseball returns by early June, Queen said, the organization is optimistic that Legion players will be able to play a full regular season along with zone and state tournaments — although the winner of that tournament will be unlikely to continue its season.\
Queen added, however, that trophies aren't the reason for Legion leagues.
"We not here to get winners. We're here to get players — to give the opportunity," he said. "And the opportunity will be there — unless we are restricted from offering it."
Queen added that teams that do play this summer will be under reduced roster and other restrictions, noting those details will be decided later.
"We are planning on playing and that is our position," he said, "until somebody drops a bomb on us."
