American Legion summer baseball canceled in Washington

MOSES LAKE — The American Legion baseball season has been canceled in Washington a week after the World Series and Regional Tournaments were canceled nationwide. States were allowed to determine how to proceed with the regular season, district tournament and state tournament. However, the Washington American League commissioner notified teams on Tuesday of the season’s cancellation.

With the American Legion season canceled, Central Washington Spuds Coach Steve Keller said the team could still operate independently, similar to a travel club, if there’s an opportunity to do that.

“You couldn’t wear the patch, you couldn’t purchase the insurance,” Keller said. “What that ends up entailing is trying to figure out all the parameters that had been in place with American Legion status.”

Keller said he and the rest of the board for the Spuds will meet in the first week of May to discuss how they will proceed moving into the summer. One issue the Spuds coach said teams are already discussing is the availability of fields, with most teams playing their games at high school or city fields.

Until Gov. Jay Inslee lifts restrictions put in place to help curb the spread of COVID-19, Keller said everything is on hold.

“If everything’s lifted, a lot of the teams that are normally in our league, the Central Washington league, want to play their games,” Keller said. “But, we can’t say yes or no until that lift happens.”

The Spuds head coach said they can’t announce any dates for tryouts or contingent dates for the season’s start right now, but said he hopes to have a clearer picture after the board meets in May.

For now, Keller said Legion baseball has been officially canceled.

Columbia Basin Riverdogs coach Donnie Lindgren said he hasn’t received any word on the Babe Ruth season this summer, and said he’s still planning on it.