Remind your MPP: Baseball is not an indoor sport

By Baseball Ontario

Baseball Ontario understands the current state of the province, but we continue to be optimistic that we can have a meaningful season in 2021. However, even in the current rules for Green Zones in the government of Ontario’s reopening plan, outdoor team sports are restricted to bubbles of 50 players, as we were in 2020.

Many concerned coaches, parents and volunteers have reached out asking what Baseball Ontario is doing to petition the government for change.

We have been advised by the provincial government that restrictions will only be modified or lifted with the support of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer. Baseball Ontario has reached out to the CMO as well as our Minister’s office to make our case for change. We have also supported the efforts of other outdoor team sports like soccer and softball who have made similar recommendations for change.

We have seen that by coming together as a community and reaching out to our local MPP’s respectfully and thoughtfully, changes to the regulations can be achieved, as demonstrated for religious ceremonies, personal care services and outdoor patios.

What can you do to help?

Now it’s our turn! We are asking everyone who believes that a return to baseball (a safe, socially distanced outdoor sport) is essential write to their local MPP asking them to support the changes to the clauses pertaining to limits of 50 players. We have created a template you can use.

If you’re not sure who is, or how to contact, your local MPP, use the link to enter your postal code. That will take you to the contact page for your MPP. Please address your communication to their Constituency office. Either email or mail letter to the addresses listed in that section are acceptable.

Form Letter to MPPs

I am contacting you today as a concerned member of your constituency and on behalf of the 95,000+ Ontarians that are involved in baseball across the province and the hundreds of thousands of others involved in other outdoor team sports.  

The Baseball Ontario community was grateful in July 2020 to be able to get back on the field under the government’s reopening plan.  In 2020, any amount of “normal” activity was welcomed and appreciated.  However, one year later, we are all feeling the pressure and fatigue inflicted on all of us because of COVID-19, and people are looking for more than simply getting back on the field.  With one year of learning and demonstrated safe experience, I believe baseball, and other outdoor team sports, can safely deliver meaningful programs and competition in 2021.

Baseball Ontario has proactively developed and implemented comprehensive Return to Sport Protocols, which resulted in zero baseball outbreaks in 2020.  By its very nature, baseball is one of the safest of team sports in a COVID world: (1) we are an outdoor sport; and (2) +90% of the time the players and coaches are naturally socially distanced beyond two metres.  

I am writing to you because pursuant to the COVID-19 Regulations issued by the government organized team sports in Orange/Yellow/Green Zones are limited to "leagues" of a maximum of 50 players.  This same limit applies to both indoor and outdoor team sports, despite outdoor team sports being safer.  Further, this approach has not been taken with respect to any other recreational activity.   With baseball roster sizes of 12 players (at the younger ages) and 25 players (at the older ages), this 50-player limit simply does not allow for meaningful competition despite it being safe to do so.

I would ask for your help in getting this rule be changed to increase the size of the limit and/or to provide clear guidance on how and when one "league" can be dissolved and a new one formed.  Sport is vital to the physical and mental health of Ontarians, particularly the youth.  Action needs to be taken.

The proposed changes requested would only apply in Orange/Yellow/Green Zones as those are the only zones where team sport competition is permitted.  I am not requesting that competition be permitted in the Shutdown, Grey or Red Zones or where a Stay at Home Order is in force.

Thank you for your help.