Monarchs, Knights’ baseball season officially cancelled

By RYAN MCCRACKEN on May 13, 2020.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken

There will be no American Legion Baseball in Medicine Hat this summer – or anywhere else for that matter – but that doesn’t necessarily rule out the potential for action on the local diamonds in the coming months. 

American Legion Baseball officially cancelled all sanctioned events for the upcoming summer on Sunday, but Mike Street, president of the Medicine Hat chapter, says he’s hoping to get the K of C Knights and Moose Monarchs on the field for an independent season of tournament play. 

“You cannot run a team under the American Legion this summer, even in the U.S.,” said Street. “We’re kind of prepared to do something, maybe a shortened tournament season, then possibly in the fall if things open up we can do a fall baseball season.”

Given that baseball requires at least 18 players for a game and crossing borders is currently prohibited, going about a summer season will come with some added guidelines. Street is currently waiting on word from the provincial and municipal governments in regard to how to potentially proceed with a tournament schedule. 

“We’re kind of in a holding pattern, I guess you could say,” he said. “We’re just waiting to see what the government of Alberta is going to come up with for groups over 15, as well as our fields in the city – the city kind of governs that I think.”

Teams like Havre and Great Falls will almost certainly be unable to compete with Medicine Hat this summer, but Street says he’s been in contact with nearby teams like Lethbridge and Vauxhall, and is even looking into the potential of interprovincial play. 

“Cranbrook and Trail have also reached out to us as well, because they’re in the American Legion from B.C.,” he said. “The Calgary Redbirds would be interested and some of the Baseball Alberta group as well… Okotoks has expressed some interest too.”

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