Coronavirus Cancels Some Salem Little League Programs

SALEM, MA — Salem Little League canceled three of its five programs for 2020 as a result of the coronavirus.

In a message to families, the league said it will offer its minor and major baseball leagues this year, but is canceling its softball, coach pitch baseball and tee ball leagues. The league said many of the players in its softball league play in a different league in the summer, while enforcing social distancing rules with the younger players in the coach pitch and tee ball leagues "would be exceedingly difficult if not impossible."

For the two leagues playing this year, practices will begin and late June and the season would start over the Fourth of July holiday if the state has moved into the third phase of its four-phase reopening plan.

"The Salem Little League Board of Directors met several times over the past few weeks and made many difficult decision," the league said. "The decisions made for tee ball, baseball, and softball have been made with safety at the top of mind."

The league said it is trying to process refund by the Fourth of July for players whose season was canceled.

Marblehead Little League Softball is allowing Salem players to join their delayed 2020 season, and the Salem Witches Youth Softball League, which is not affiliated with Little League, plans to run its program this summer. Little League International, the sport's governing body, has waived its residency requirement for players whose home season was canceled, meaning Salem players whose seasons were canceled can join a league in a neighboring town.