On April 24, 2020, the Cape Cod Baseball League announced that it will cancel the 2020 summer season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be the first time since 1946 that there will be no games played in the nation's premiere collegiate summer league.
According to the CCBL, "The decision was based on the health concerns and safety needs of all involved. Following CDC guidelines and medical recommendations, the league determined it would be impossible to guarantee the safety of players, coaches, umpires, host families, volunteers and fans during this unprecedented health crisis."
When the NCAA made their decision to cancel the College World Series in March, there was little doubt that each team within the NCAA would cancel the remainder of their season because they had no championship to play for. However, since each summer league operates independently of one another and are not controlled by a governing body, this decision may not become the standard for summer leagues across the country.
In addition, many of these summer leagues are dependent on their yearly profits for survival. This means that if they were to cancel their 2020 summer season, it would force the league to permanently close. Obviously every summer league needs to play games in order to make a profit, but the leagues that are in a financially tight position will be the most affected if the 2020 summer season does not take place.
Our best guess is that a majority of the leagues will keep postponing their start date, even until mid-July, before they decide to throw in the towel. With all of the uncertainty invoked by this pandemic, one thing is for certain: everyone is eager for college baseball to return!
You can find the official Cape Cod Baseball League press release here.