\u201cIt\u2019s a sad day in Farmington, New Mexico. We take a lot of pride in this event,\u201d CMWS chairman Tyson Snyder said. \u201cThe northwest corner of New Mexico is currently considered a high-risk, hotbed area for COVID-19. Gov. (Michelle Lujan Grisham) last week outlined a process of reopening, which is currently in the preparation phase. Even if we get to Stage 2 and beyond, large events are off the table. Our event, we can have 8,000 people in the stadium. With the health risk of COVID-19, we have to halt mass gatherings for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 16-team tournament, put on by the American Amateur Baseball Congress, features some of the top players from around the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico each year with players between the ages of 16 and 18. It is a highly-attended event by college and professional scouts, with many players agreeing to contracts with pro clubs throughout the week-long tournament.<\/p>\n
Each year, players from around the Four Corners compete in the Connie Mack city league throughout the summer with the season culminating with a city tournament to determine a local host team for the CMWS. In most years, a handful of players from Colorado are represented on the host team. Last season, Durango\u2019s Gage Mestas earned a spot in the CMWS with the 4-Corners Baseball Frackers team.<\/p>\n
Within the city league, Durango typically fields a team in an effort to develop young players. Many of the area\u2019s top players compete with recent traditional powers such as 4-Corners or Farmington Strike Zone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a disappointment,\u201d said Durango High School coach Rob Coddington, who has frequently coached teams in the Connie Mack city league. \u201cThe Connie Mack World Series is a mainstay in the baseball community. Hopefully, it\u2019s just a one-time deal and things start turning back around in 2020 and 2021 to get back to playing some high school and summer baseball. The kids are all ready for that day to come, and the coaches are, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The CMWS has featured some of the sport\u2019s biggest names, from a list of hall of famers that includes Ken Griffey Jr. to current stars such as Andrew Benintendi, Alex Bregman, Eric Hosmer, Manny Machado and Anthony Rizzo.<\/p>\n
Teams qualify through regionals all across the country and Puerto Rico. They are welcomed to Farmington via police escort, are paraded through downtown and celebrated during a lavish opening ceremony. Players are treated like heroes, often stopping to sign autographs for young fans. After a week of baseball, one team is crowned champion, complete with rings.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s disappointing, but I guess I understand,\u201d said 4-Corners manager Mike McGaha, a former state champion winning coach at Piedra Vista High School in Farmington and a current assistant at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque. \u201cThe Connie Mack World Series infrastructure and how the entire event is held together is maintained by ticket sales and host families. There is no way to subsidize it through local leagues. Even if our governor would lift some restrictions, it\u2019s not going to be enough to have gatherings of more than 10 people. Without selling thousands of tickets, they can\u2019t have a Connie Mack World Series or even throw together a makeshift thing together for a sheer lack of funds.\u201d<\/p>\n The community opens its homes to host the players, making Farmington a special host city for the event. Teams often visit Durango to take rafting trips or fly fish the San Juan River during off days. The loss of the series this year won\u2019t only be an economic hit to Farmington but to Durango, as well.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to qualify to get here, earn the right to get here, win a regional event,\u201d Snyder said. \u201cNone of that is happening. Some of that may happen in some parts of the country, but no one knows. It\u2019s such an uncertain time. Without baseball happening, it\u2019s hard to have a destination world series.\u201d<\/p>\n Snyder said he was unsure if the Farmington Amateur Baseball Congress will conduct a city league season this year. Coddington said no word has officially been sent out to teams. The DHS coach hopes, if nothing else, local teams will eventually be able to get together to stage scrimmages to give players some game experience this summer.<\/p>\n \u201cThe American Legion is canceling the majority of its events, too,\u201d Coddington said. \u201cIt sounds like everything is going to be canceled. I\u2019ve already talked with the kids and have been in touch with some of the local high school coaches. We are all staying optimistic to be able to get in some local games just to get some activity. But everyone is in the same mode waiting for various health departments to make those calls.\u201d<\/p>\n Thursday, Little League announced it would cancel it seven world series tournaments as well as its 82 regional qualifying tournaments. Little League is leaving decisions regarding baseball activities up to each state and local government regarding play after May 11.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a heartbreaking decision for everyone at Little League International, but more so for those millions of Little Leaguers who have dreamt of one day playing in one of our seven World Series events,\u201d Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO, said in a news release. \u201cAfter exhausting all possible options, we came to the conclusion that because of the significant public health uncertainty that will still exist several months from now, and with direction from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, as well as senior public health officials and government leaders from locations where our other six World Series are held, as well as the their qualifying regional tournaments, it will not be possible to proceed with our tournaments as we\u2019ve hosted them for nearly 75 years.\u201d<\/p>\n For the CMWS, Snyder was eager to showcase some enhanced seating renovations at Ricketts Park this summer. Now, the AABC organizers will aim to resume the majestic event in 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely gut-wrenching for me. One of the saddest days of my life, and I mean that,\u201d Snyder said. \u201cThis is an elite baseball tournament not only for the players but for our community. You see people come together, see people you many not see the rest of the year but can count on seeing them under the lights at Ricketts Park. It\u2019s a great event. To not have it, it feels like it was taken away like so many other things like weddings, graduations, funerals, Major League Baseball. It\u2019s a hard decision to make, but our hands are tied. At the end of the day, as bad as that feels, what would feel worse is if someone got sick or died and it was traced back to the Connie Mack World Series. We had to err on the side of keeping people safe.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue to work year-round and make sure we come back bigger, better, stronger and have an even bigger celebration in 2021. All we can do is look to improve and bounce back for our community.\u201d<\/p>\n