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The Regina Red Sox won’t be playing ball this season.
The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) team announced Thursday it was halting operations until the 2022 campaign as a result of COVID-19 public health measures.
The Red Sox also didn’t play in 2020, when the pandemic forced the league to cancel its season.
Regina is to be joined on hiatus in 2021 by the Swift Current 57’s,Weyburn Beavers, Moose Jaw Miller Express and Brooks Bombers.
In a media release, the Red Sox said the league submitted a return-to-play plan to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health asking for a gradual increase in fan attendance during the season, reaching 100 per cent capacity on July 1.
“As of right now, Saskatchewan Health is enforcing a maximum of 25 per cent capacity for the upcoming season,” the Red Sox said in the release. “Player and staff testing protocols will need to be in place at an estimated cost of $40,000 per team, as well as quarantine costs amounting to $2,000 per player.”
As well, the team noted interprovincial travel is restricted and the Canada-U.S. border is closed.
The WCBL plans to go with all-Canadian rosters on its remaining teams, but they too will face quarantine and testing costs as well as border restrictions.
“As you can see, there are many obstacles to overcome to proceed with a 2021 season, all with significant financial impacts (for) both the individual teams and the league as a whole,” the Red Sox said.
In a media release, the WCBL said non-Canadian players who had been recruited have been told to look for opportunities to play elsewhere.
The Okotoks Dawgs are to field two teams in 2021, with the Lethbridge Bulls, Sylvan Lake Gulls and Edmonton Prospects currently rounding out the league’s roster. The Fort McMurray Giants and Medicine Hat Mavericks are still discussing their options.
“Just like 2020, the WCBL is aware of the logistical differences between communities in the league and those logistics may result in some franchises having to make the difficult decision to accept an emergency leave of absence,” WCBL president Kevin Kvame said in the league’s release.
“However, we also feel it is important to provide a platform for our strong Canadian talent that needs to continue to develop this summer and, as such, we have assembled key franchises who can pull off this endeavour.”
