Grafton Little League is back

After an offseason like none other, Grafton Little League recently returned to play and expects all teams to play a full slate of games in a compressed schedule this summer.

“Everybody’s getting a full regular season, which is important to us,” Grafton Little League Board President Greg Schaefer said.

Four versions of the schedule were created, along with new procedures in aninfection prevention and spectator plans, under guidance from Little League and local health departments due to the coronavirus.

Younger divisions with a pitching machine don’t have catchers, with the gear given to older children. Players don’t share equipment; if they don’t bring it from home, the league bought it and assigned it to each player for the season.

Home plate umpires stand behind the pitchers, and players have replaced post-game handshakes with tips of their caps. Equipment is  Sanitizer was given to each team.

“Building those plans were a lot of work but they were steps we had to take,” Schaefer said.

The organization was able to absorb the equipment costs.

“We’ll make it up in other places,” Schaefer said.

The concession stand is not open, and sunflower seeds and gum aren’t allowed.

The organization’s 25-member board of directors crammed months of planning into several weeks between mid-March and mid-May.

“I think many of us essentially took on another full-time job,” Schaefer said.

The league was fortunate, Schaefer said, that a third field was ready for play this year at its complex, since school fields aren’t available until at least July 1, due to Gov. Tony Evers’ closure of schools.

“We’ve been successful and we’re just pleased that we’re able to pull this off and do this safely,” Schaefer said. “And it still looks like baseball.”