Baycats Suspend Operations for the 2020 Season

BARRIE - Today, it is with deep regret that the Board of Directors of the Barrie Baycats Baseball Club announce that we will not be fielding a team for the upcoming 2020 season.

These are extremely challenging times for our families and all of society. The COVID-19 pandemic has completely caught all of us off guard. This situation is bigger than baseball and that is the reason we must make responsible decisions.

“Nothing is more important to the Baycats than the health and safety of our players, volunteers, fans, and officials,” stated Baycats President David Mills.

"At this time there exists too much risk and uncertainty to move forward in good conscience this season,” commented Mills. 

“During these last couple of weeks, we have had a valuable dialogue with the Intercounty Baseball League. Presently, two other IBL teams (Kitchener and Brantford) have opted out of the 2020 season, and the remaining teams and their executives are considering their plans for the season that could potentially begin on July 1.

"Without any ability to predict as to when it will be safe and responsible to return to play, our Board of Directors unanimously came to this decision to withdraw from the IBL 2020 season.

"All of us play a part battling this virus so that we may be in a position to enjoy more Baycats baseball in the future.

The Baycats, a not-for-profit organization, has established itself with a strong community presence. It would be irresponsible of us as Directors and the custodians of this organization, its reputation, and its very future in this community, to risk all of our health and welfare by participating this season. 

"By putting the foot on the brakes for 2020, we have another year to regroup, solidify our sponsors, players, and staffing and come out of the gate in 2021 in the same strong position we’ve been in for the last 20 years.

"Thank you for supporting Baycats Baseball and trust you understand our decision. We will continue to provide information on the team through social media and our website”.

David Mills

President Baycats

For more information, follow the Baycats on Facebook and Twitter at @iblbaycats and on Instagram at @barriebaycats. 

Photo: Brian Backland/Brian Backland Photography