‘We just want to play’ .. and the FCBL did
鈥淲e just want to play,鈥� was a common refrain from athletes starting back around St. Patrick蘑菇视频 Day.
The loss of the final days of winter competition morphed into the cancellation of the entire spring sports schedule, including those of professional athletes.
So, while the powers-that-be tried to figure out what was going on and how to handle the situation, the COVID-19 pandemic indiscriminately cut sports season after sports season as the calendar rolled to summer.
Now, mind you, as athletes sat at home instead of filling fields, courts and tracks, so was yours truly sitting at home not covering events at fields, courts and tracks.
Filling my days with features, tracking the woeful Video Game Bucs鈥� season and the compilation of the daily H-S Sportlight (thanks for all the kind words for the pandemic daily feature, I really appreciate the way the events and names from the past have been received), it was welcome news when Dickie Krause and, then, Ryan Encapera reached out to me about the Fayette County Baseball League sneaking in an abbreviated 2020 season.
And, that they did, allowing yours truly to get out of the house and into the sunlight (as evidenced with my 鈥渂aseball tan鈥� two months late).
Considering the last 鈥渓ive鈥� events I covered were the WPIAL Swimming Championships in the last week of February, and the opening game of the Penn State Fayette women in the USCAA tournament, the PIHL semifinal between Elizabeth Forward and Ringggold, and a photo shoot of the LH boys honored in the men蘑菇视频 Division II title game (the last game played, actually) through the second week of March, the opportunity to get out in the world for an athletic event was very warmly received.聽
The league managed to pull off a 12-game season and two rounds of playoffs, and I attended more than a few of them.
With little BP and team practices, the pitchers league-wide held the upperhand for most of the season.
The teams were very accommodating, happy to see someone there to record the action.
The league, with only five teams, was steeped with a lot of local baseball talent, much of it on the youthful side.
Chuck Gasti, whose name dots the Sportlight throughout the week, was one of the real nice guys in a league filled with good fellas. Always with a smile and a fun word, Gasti can still smack the ball and provided a solid glove at third base for the Copperheads.聽
He was manning third base in the last regular season game at Masontown, a game that ultimately decided first place. The home team had runners at first and second, and was in a traditional bunting situation.
Ian Edenfield, he of linebacker/tight end build, settled into the batter蘑菇视频 box. Gasti gave a look at the plate and turned to third base coach Jamal Palmer, asking, a bit nervously and humorously, if Edenfield could bunt as he set up in a modified defensive position.
There was Bill Bendis, the venerable left-hander who turns 45 in a couple months, still giving Mill Run蘑菇视频 Ray Orndorff meaningful innings.
That same Mill Run team, behind Alan VanSickle蘑菇视频 stellar 10-inning performance and Garrett Brooks鈥� timely hitting, defense and pitching, winning in the dark, 4-3, in 11 innings at Masontown.
There was the occasional dust-up late in the season. Truly, a dust-up with the lack of rain through July, but, most of the time, guys gave it a good effort 鈥� with a little jawing 鈥� as the game should be played.
Then, there was the youthful Fayette Raiders, the losers of 10 games. But, at least half of those defeats easily could鈥檝e been wins.
The 1-0 loss to Mitch蘑菇视频 Bail Bonds late in the season was a bit of what happened to the Raiders most of the year. The winning run was the result of a walk to Gage Gillott, two stolen bases and a balk.
Manager Vince Dellapenna was pretty hyped up when he said he had to give me a call because he was on the winning side.
Despite it all, Dellapenna said his guys were already talking about next year after losing the play-in game to Mill Run.
Next year. Here蘑菇视频 hoping 2021 is a bit smoother and I鈥檒l be able to catch my great-nephew playing baseball between American Legion and FCBL games.
But, as for 2020, big round of appreciative applause for the managers and players doing what needed to be done to play games, and giving family, friends, fans and sportswriters a game to watch.