The American Association officially announced Tuesday they are putting their season on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The board of directors of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball has postponed the start of the 2020 regular season which was scheduled to begin on May 19.
The league is now aiming for a July start date for the Winnipeg Goldeyes and the league’s 11 other members.
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“The American Association looks forward to the day when we can safely re-open our stadiums to our fans and provide entertainment and social interaction,” American Association Commissioner Joshua Schaub said in a statement.
“However, we will not jeopardize the safety of our fans, staff, players, umpires or vendors and will abide by all national and local restrictions when determining if we can open in early July.”
The league still hopes to hold an 80-game schedule, as opposed to their usual 100-game campaign. The playoffs are usually held in early September, but the league is now planning on extending the 2020 regular season into late-September.
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The Goldeyes are the league’s only Canadian-based team, so the US-Canadian border will have to be re-opened before the schedule can begin.
The league also indicated the early July timeline will only go ahead if the 12 team’s are able to hold games in their home markets, while still abiding by government laws and local health orders.
The American Association is not considering playing without fans in the stands as it’s a gate-driven league without big television contracts.
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